TRAVEL ALERT - MALAWI

The army has been deployed in three Malawian cities on a second day of anti-government protests in which at least 18 people have been killed. President Bingu wa Mutharika has vowed to use any measure possible to quell the demonstrations. Protesters accuse him of plunging Malawi into its worst economic crisis since independence. The army has been deployed in the capital, Lilongwe, Blantyre and Mzuzu in the north. Nine people died in Mzuzu, six in Lilongwe, two in Blantyre, and one in the town of Karonga on the border with Tanzania. Another 44 people suffered gunshot wounds in the clashes between protesters and security forces. Security forces reportedly opened fire in Lilongwe to prevent shops being looted and cars being smashed. Lorry-loads of soldiers were patrolling central Lilongwe, clearing barricades set up by protesters. The city centre is deserted with shops closed.
Civil groups which organised the nationwide protests said Malawi was facing a "series of catastrophes". The cost of living was rising and the country was facing acute shortages of fuel, electricity and foreign currency, they said in a statement. The government passed an austerity budget recently, raising taxes to reduce dependence on aid. Last week, the UK cut aid to Malawi after accusing the government of handling the economy badly. Other donors have also reduced aid.